Taco Salad with Doritos

Sometimes the recipes we keep combine ingredients that sound like they wouldn't work together; potato chip topped casseroles, sour cream raisin pie, the list goes on.

Our version of a Taco Salad falls in this category. Most people would never think of topping a relatively healthy salad with crushed nacho cheese chips. But it's always been one of our favorite dinners, especially in the dead of Winter when the only fresh veggies we can find at our local grocery store are crisp heads of lettuce and maybe some hothouse tomatoes.

Give this salad a try our way, then twist it up a bit; make it with chicken rather than beef, use different varieties of cheese, dollop on some sour cream and salsa. The tastes and textures will satisfy even your pickiest kids at the table, especially if you squirt some ranch dressing over the top.

You can put all the individual ingredients for this salad out as a buffet and let each person make up their own. If you want to make one giant salad, toss all the salad ingredients and dressing together in a big bowl, leaving out the Doritos, and let each person crumble those over the top of their own serving.

TACO SALAD WITH DORITOS

1 lb. ground beef or ground turkey **
1 medium onion, diced
1 packet taco seasoning
3/4 c. water
Cheddar cheese, shredded
Lettuce, chopped
Tomato, diced
Black olives, sliced
Green pepper, diced
Nacho Cheese Doritos
Western dressing
Ranch dressing (optional)

In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground meat with the onion. Lower the heat to low, sprinkle the taco seasoning over the meat, and pour the water over the top. Stir everything together well and simmer until thickened.

Fill a bowl with lettuce. Top it with the warm meat, then some shredded cheddar cheese to get it melting. Sprinkle on your choice of toppings; tomato, black olives, and green pepper. Crumble a handful or two of Doritos over the top of the salad. Drizzle with Western dressing, and or/Ranch dressing.

**To make a Chicken Taco Salad, substitute 2-3 diced boneless chicken breasts for the ground meat and brown them until cooked through with the onion.